great day on candlestick yesterday. pipped at the post by some mainlanders to do the regular route. not inclined to do the 18 option with the bolts at the base as it seems like an epic magnet. Thought the crack straight across from the mainland ledge (swim start) looked doable. climbed it from the very far left end of the big ledge (where you start regular route). Thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't understand how i'd never done it before or why its not the modern way to do the candle stick.

I had a recollection that someone had posted on thesarvo about doing it. Maybe even roger parkyn just a couple of years ago

Its way too obvious that no-one would have ever climbed it. There was a carabiner on a ledge near the top but thats not saying much.

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Haven't done it but I noticed it looked like a great way to go when I was on the tote last year. I think I spoke to you about it afterwards actually.

Also Dave: could you add some more info on the nearby The Big Scary Shady Cliff? there seems to be a few typos and i couldn't really work out where these cliffs were from the description... deliberately oblique? a photo would be good too.

Ah cool. I suspect that discussion is why I had some recollection of it being a post on thesarvo, obviously mixing my dendrites. Yeah I'll do some pics for bluefin etc although they will be heavily cropped shots from a boat...

I climbed it that way around 1986, going up that obvious corner from the sea and then continuing straight up the line above to the top - lots of loose rock so it might have been the first ascent, although the Candlestick is fairly loose in general. It was about 18 as I recall.

Great David! I thought same, about 18. I'm going to write a description and put it on thesarvo. I'll put you as the first ascentionist and however you were with ? I may also acknowledge that being so obvious the route may have been climbed before and after. Sound ok?

Without the Candlestick routes on a topo it is very confusing as to which route is which unless one has actually been there and done one of them. Attached are three topos, which may or may not be 100% correct. I quizzed Chris(Basil) Rathbone re the 1977 ABC route and his and Ditto’s grappling hook access in 1985. I also asked Sebastien re Dave Gray’s route and his (kayak access) from the south ledge in 1997. Seb drew it on one of the topos . Their route is in thesarvo guide as the West Wall, although it looks to be more SW.

There seem to be 5 or 6 routes on the western side, any comments? Which is the so called ‘direct route,’ gr~18’ with the bolts at the start and how far (in metres?) north of the large original route (gr. 16) ledge? Where is your Jan. 2018 route Dave (J) in relation to these two? Which route do you mean by the most popular, the original 16 or the direct 18? Can you dot the direct route on?

A friend climbed a route just south of the ABC route 2 or 3 days ago (marked Tim and Jean on one of the topos). Is that a different line or is it the so called ‘direct’ gr.18 route?

The Stick and Tote are very popular nowadays, the Candlestick as loose as ever, J and T witnessed yet another large rock fall, dislodged by some party. Not a place to follow an inexperienced party safely!

Yes I can confirm that the yellow line is the line of the original route. It is the large corner system that runs up this side of the face. On the 2nd pitch you have to climb over a chockstone type feature to get to the ledge where there are two u bolts on the wall. This is also not the point to get back to the mainland from. You have to climb one more pitch to get to these bolts.

Route 2 has at least one bolt at the base which is just visible from the ledge one would start the swim from m. I thought it was the 18 route. I get the impression often people see the bolt and go there thinking it's the original route.

So no.2 is the so called Direct Route(18) in thesarvo guide then and your Jan. 2018 route in the middle. When people talk of original, normal and direct it is confusing. Your route certainly looks good. Can you write a description and give it a name?